Sunderland AFC can free up £832k in annual wages with two simple transfer decisions | OneFootball

FLW have identified two simple decisions Sunderland can make in the summer to free up some wages.

Sunderland have had a brilliant season, but their saturated squad will need some minor adjustments in the summer, regardless of what division they lie in.

The Black Cats are targeting a return to the Premier League after an eight-year hiatus and, despite slipping in the promotion race, will still back themselves to secure a top-flight spot.

With a comfortable gap to seventh place, their top-six finish is all but assured with a few more wins, allowing them to begin preparations for a crucial semi-final.

If they can win the play-offs, it would be a remarkable achievement, but they will need to make several additions. To fund some of these, they will have to offload surplus players, and FLW has identified two straightforward transfer decisions that could generate funds.

Nazariy Rusyn

Nazariy Rusyn was a player greeted with excitement by Sunderland supporters when he signed for £2.5 million back in 2023.

Unfortunately, like much of the squad last season, the Ukrainian struggled and was part of a strikeforce that found the back of the net all too infrequently.

In total, he managed just two goals last season, and his poor form saw him rarely used by Regis Le Bris at the start of this campaign. After featuring for just 66 minutes in the league across eight appearances, he was sent on loan to Hajduk Split in January, where he has also struggled to make an impact.

However, the Croatian side have an option to make his temporary move permanent in the summer, with the fee believed to be around £2.1 million.

Whether they choose to activate this option remains uncertain, but even if they don't, Sunderland should be looking to offload the 26-year-old.

According to Capology, he earns a weekly wage of £9,000, costing Sunderland an annual sum of £468,000. This would be better spent elsewhere and even if they can't recoup close to the fee they want, they need to get rid of a player who has little value to them.

Adil Aouchiche

Another player who was shipped out on loan in January after receiving very little game time was Adil Aouchiche.

The 22-year-old joined up with John Mousinho's Portsmouth and has shown glimpses during his short spell at Fratton Park so far. Differing from Rusyn, the Black Cats haven't placed an option to buy in his loan deal, but you still feel he is a player they should cash in on this summer.

Across his first 18 months at the Stadium of Light, he has managed just two goals and four assists in 38 appearances - insufficient output to justify keeping him at the club.

His current contract earns him £7,000 per week, amounting to £364,000 per year. Moving him on would not only free up this figure but would also bring in a nice transfer fee which they could utilise to sign a new player in the summer.

Portsmouth may be interested in signing him if he can transform his flashes of brilliance into more consistent performances, while a return to France could also be an option.

Both players have had their chances at the Stadium of Light, and offloading them in the summer would free up £832,000 in annual wages to reinvest elsewhere.